1st IL Tick Infected With Rare Illness Found In Lake County

LAKE COUNTY, IL — State public health officials have announced the first tick to test positive for Ehrlichia muris eauclairensis was found in Lake County.

Ehrlichia muris eauclairensis is a bacteria transmitted by blacklegged tick bites that can cause human ehrlichiosis, a severe disease that can cause complications if not treated quickly, according to a news release from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Since the Lake County discovery, health officials are urging residents and healthcare providers in Northern Illinois to be aware and on the lookout for ehrlichiosis, which is caused by EME. Ehrlichiosis can be easily treated with antibiotics, but can also cause severe illness if left untreated.

“The discovery of the first tick in Illinois carrying EME, a rare and serious disease, is a great reminder of the importance of our active tick surveillance program in Illinois,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “Tickborne illnesses such as Lyme disease and EME can cause severe illness, especially if untreated. Anyone who spends time in wooded areas or brush, including hunters, should be sure to check for ticks every few hours and remove any that you find. If you experience common symptoms of tickborne illnesses - such as fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches, nausea or vomiting – see your healthcare provider immediately and let them know about tick exposure so that you can obtain testing and treatment that can prevent serious illness.”

The blacklegged tick, also called a deer tick, was collected on May 17 by Lake County Health Department staff who receive funding through IDPH’s Environmental Health Tick Surveillance Grant program, according to a news release from the IDPH.

The tick was recently tested and confirmed positive for EME by the CDC.

Along with ehrlichiosis, ticks submitted by IDPH to CDC are tested for several diseases of human-health importance, including Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and Borrelia miyamotoi disease.

The disease was first discovered in an Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, resident in 2009. All known human cases of EME have occurred in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

In Illinois, ehrlichiosis is primarily seen in southern Illinois and spread through the bites of infected Lone star ticks. With the Lake County discovery, a second tick species is now known to spread ehrlichiosis in Illinois.

Infected adult and young blacklegged ticks can spread EME to people, health officials said. Blacklegged ticks are commonly found in areas with woods, brush, leaf litter, and tall grass, and adult blacklegged ticks are active from October through December and any winter day above freezing.

Residents are reminding to follow these tips to avoid tickborne illnesses and have a healthy time outdoors:

• Learn about tick removal and symptom awareness here.
• Walk in the center of trails. Avoid wooded, bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
• Wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to find. Tuck long pants into socks and boots. The EPA has a search tool that can help you find the product that best suits your needs.
• Treat outdoor clothing and gear with 0.5% permethrin.
• Conduct full-body tick checks on family members (underarms, ears, belly button, behind knees, between legs, waist, hair and scalp) every two to three hours. Also check any gear or pets taken on outings.
• Put your clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes (or one hour for damp clothes) to kill ticks.
• Shower within two hours after coming indoors.
• If you find a blacklegged tick on you that may have been attached for more than two days, then seek medical attention to decide if you need an antibiotic to prevent Lyme disease.
• It is often helpful to keep the tick for species identification. Place the tick in rubbing alcohol or in a sealed bag/container to bring to your healthcare provider or local health department for submission to IDPH. A submission form can be found on the IDPH website.